It has long been considered desirable to provide a golf practice device that allows a golfer to practice his/her strokes, as well as accuracy, while retaining the impact feel and controlled flight pattern of a regulation golf ball, yet do so in a more restricted space than necessary if a real golf ball is used. The prior art proposals for accomplishing this objective have not been entirely successful. If a ball is attached to a string or cable type element, there is no true flight given to the ball when impacted by a golf club, the ball typically having a jerky flight, little stability, and no true trajectory, while wrapping of the string or cable around various elements may occur. The prior proposals for accomplishing tile goals of the invention do not provide sufficient air resistance, or there is an inherently unsafe attachment between the component parts. Others require the ball to be teed up with a conventional tee, which can only be used on dirt or grass, i.e., not asphalt, brick, wood, etc.
According to the present invention, a golf ball practice device is provided that achieves the objectives of allowing a golfer to practice his or her golf stroke in a realistic mariner while the device has a true and accurate trajectory, at least until the very end of flight. However, the device according to the invention has significant air resistance. It will travel only a fraction of the distance of a conventional golf ball, typically a maximum of about 100 feet, and more typically about 30-80 feet, or less. The practice device according to the present invention may be used on virtually any surface, automatically teeing up the ball a suitable height on hard surfaces as well as a dirt or lawn surface. The device according to the invention is also simple and relatively inexpensive to construct, and may be manufactured utilizing already existing regulation golf balls, or may be specially manufactured in a unitary manner.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a golf ball practice device is also comprising the following elements: A ball having substantially the same size, shape, appearance as a regulation golf ball. A substantially disc shaped drag element, having drag inducing openings and surface manifestations provided therein. A shaft connecting the drag element and ball so that they are integral, the substantially disc shaped drag element extending substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and the shaft extending radially with respect to the ball. And, the shaft has a length between the drag element and ball sufficient to elevate the ball about 1-1.5 inches off of a surface on which the drag element is placed.
The shaft typically has a length between the drag element and the ball or about 3/4 of an inch to an inch and 1/4. The shaft and the drag element: typically comprise a one piece molded resilient plastic or rubber structure, the one-piece molded structure connected to the ball by passing through a through extending diametrical opening in the ball, and by ultrasonic welding or other permanent attachment of the ball opposite ends to the shaft. The drag element normally comprises a plurality of radial segments with air flow through spaces between the segments, allowing the segments to be swept back as the device moves through the air when the ball is impacted by a golf club. The drag element preferably has a substantially fiat face on the "bottom" thereof, that is the surface opposite the shaft. The radial segment also may have generally radially extending slits or ridges.
The ball preferably is an actual regulation golf ball, or closely simulating one, having a rubber compound core, and exteriorly dimpled plastic shell about an 1/8 of an inch thick, a circumference of about 5 1/4 inches, and a weight of roughly 45 grams. The device is very simple and preferably consists of the drag element, shaft, and ball. The drag element is constructed to allow a maximum flight of the device when the ball is impacted by a golf club swung by a human of about 100 feet (preferably about 30-80). The drag element, shaft and ball may alternatively be constructed of a unitary molded structure.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a golf ball practice device is provided comprising: A ball having substantially the same size, shape, and appearance as a regulation golf ball. A substantially disc shaped drag element, having drag inducing openings and surface manifestations provided therein. A shaft connecting the drag element and ball so that they are integral, the substantially disc shaped drag element extending substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and the shaft extending radially with respect to the ball. And, wherein the shaft and the drag element comprising a one-piece molded resilient plastic or rubber structure.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a golf ball practice is comprising and consisting essentially of the following elements: A ball having substantially the same size, appearance, and composition as a regulation golf ball. A substantially disc shaped drag element, having drag inducing openings and surface manifestations provided therein. A shaft connecting the drag element and ball so that they are integral, the substantially disc shaped drag element extending substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and the shaft extending radially with respect to the ball. And the ball having a rubber compound core, an exteriorly dimpled plastic shell about 1/8 inch thick, a circumference of about 5.25 inches, and a weight of roughly 45 gm.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple, yet effective, golf ball practice device which has the appearance, impact feel, and controlled flight pattern of regulation golf balls, but a much reduced flight distance. This an other objects of the invention will become from an inspection of tile detailed description of tile invention and from the appended claims.